Light of the World
Matthew 5: 14-16 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” – NLT
I am reminded that Jesus often taught and spoke in ways that those who were listening would understand. When Jesus calls Peter and Andrew He tells them that He would teach them to “fish for people”. It was a way to make sense of what it means to spread the Gospel. Peter, Andrew and the others likely fished at night because during the day the fish in the Sea of Galilee stay close to the bottom where it’s cooler but during the cool of the night they come close to the surface and the guys would have kept a lit torch aboard their boats to draw the fish even closer.
What does your light look like to the world? Is it attractive, or is it a little dim? When we are intentional with our faith and spend time with Jesus, He transforms our lives so that they look different. When we are impacted by Jesus it is impossible to hide that light. If we wanted to see in the dark we would not cover up our light, but rather we would use the light so that we could see. When I read this passage I am always reminded of Tom Bodett, who was always famous for his Motel 6 commercials in which he would always end it with, “I’m Tom Bodett for Motel 6, and we’ll leave the light on for you.”
Each of us has a light. For some it is a giant beacon of hope and love and everyone is attracted to it, like the summer time bugs that flock to the porch light. For some, it is barely a flicker, but it is still a light. When we are serious about our relationship with God and we make time to cultivate that relationship, our light is strengthened and made brighter each time. We will have days when our light is strong and we will have days when our light is dim. It is important for us to remember that God is working in our light, no matter how bright or dim.
My prayer for you is that you will take time with God, fill up your lantern of faith with the greatest fuel available to you, and let your light shine bright!
– Pastor Mike
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